Human beings are intricately constructed: no two are the same. Some are short, others tall, they have legs of different lengths and disproportionate body halves. That's why an off-the-peg bike that fits straight away is just wishful thinking on the part of the industry. For years, ergonomics experts, sports physicians and orthopaedists have been searching for the best alternative to a customised frame. The most important realisation that has emerged over the past few years is that the athlete does not fit into any kind of frame. In order to ride pain-free and effectively on the bike in the long term, there is no way around customisation. You can do this yourself or put yourself in the hands of a professional bike fitter.
Bike fitters face two problems when it comes to customisation: a combination of perfect aerodynamics and high comfort with maximum physical performance is required. A marriage, so to speak, of low air resistance and high muscular efficiency. All of this packaged on a rigid piece of sports equipment such as a racing bike. On paper, such a marriage looks like a divorce. This is exactly where bike fitting comes in - whether you set it up yourself or have it thoroughly checked by a specialist. There are many ways to customise a bike. It doesn't work the other way round - after all, you can't simply fit a longer thigh if necessary. Instead, special methods are used to determine the length, mobility and proportions of different parts of the body. These findings can then be used to adapt a bike to the rider. But does this work as well as described on the bike fitters' websites?
TOUR has three national providers (Radlabor, Specialized and Sportergonomics) to see how differently the bike fitters treat their customers. Representing the majority of road cyclists, we sent a tall cyclist to be measured, one with knee problems and one with a pelvic obliquity.
You can find the results of the provider comparison in the PDF download below.
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